Benefits of Hands-On Learning In my classroom

“Tell me, and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me, and I learn”.  ~ Ben Franklin.

As a Math Instructional Coach on a Title I campus, one of my biggest challenges is to keep my students engaged with the content and to make the learning experience meaningful to them.  My most effective strategy to accomplish this goal is to offer frequent authentic, hands-on experiences that bring mathematics to life!  

Last year, when my fourth and fifth grade students were working on area, perimeter, and volume of three dimensional figures, the students were challenged to design and create a package that could cost-effectively hold an object with unusual dimensions .  I found several packaging samples and that we reverse-engineered to determine the dimensions of the sides and the number of cubes it could hold.

Students then worked together to develop a prototype of their own design and were asked to create a blueprint by sketching a net of the package.  Students had an undeniable “need-to-know” of the content in order to design a successful package.  The mathematical concepts held significant meaning and students were able to apply their knowledge and understanding at higher cognitive levels than simply working practice problems on a worksheet.  Our winning design used the least amount of materials that also resulted in the the least waste.  There was so much discussion on how to best accomplish this goal!   Students must interact with the information before it can make sense and they can move beyond rote memory.  Not only were the students engaged in the process, but they were also able to utilize 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.  

By involving students in hands-on experiences, learners were able to dig deeper, discover pitfalls, problem-solve solutions, practice perseverance, and feel empowered to overcome challenges.  

 As Immanuel Kant remarked, “The hand is the window on to the mind.”  

 The more “hands-on” opportunities students have, the more “minds-in” they will be.